Weighing and filling machine



April 13, 1954 Filed May 8, 1951 S. BIRKLAND WEIGHING AND FILLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 70 SOURCE OF PRE'JSl/E/ZED FL (//0 INVENTOR.

575L114 B/P/(LA/VD Y B m K/ April 13, 1954 s. BIRKLAND 2,675,203

WEIGHING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ant-4 m B/PKLAND M 2x121 April 13, 1954 s. BIRKLAND 2,675,203

WEIGHING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4AM W W Arne/v5) Patented Apr. 13, 1954 WEIGHI'NG' AND FILLING MACHINE StellanBirkland, San Francisco, Calif assignor to American Can Com a-corporation-of New J pany, New York, N. Y., ersey Application May- 8, 1951, Serial N0..225.,084

Claims. 1

The present invention. relates to. av machine for weighing and filling. granularproducts such as coffee and the. like into cans or containers and has particular. reference todevices. for weigh.- ing the product. into individual charges ofv a predetermined weight prior to filling thecharges into the cans.

This, is a. companion application to. my co pending United States applications Serial No. 225,086, filed May 8, 195-1, by Stellan Birkland and Malcolm W. LovelancL. on. Machine for Weighing, Filling and. SealingProductsinto Containers, and Serial No. 225,085, filed May 8, 1951, by. Stellan Birkland. on Transfer. Device for Pressurized Compartment.

An object of the invention is the provision in a weighing, andfilling machineof novel weighing devices which ares'ensitive and quick. acting, and are particularly adaptedfor, use in a continuous operation machine in. which the, weighing of a unit charge of the prod'uctand. the filling of the charge into a canisefiected while the. cans pass through themachine in. a continuous procession in spaced and timed. order and at a. high rate of speed.

Numerous other objectsandadvantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better. understood .from, the. following description which, taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, discloses. a preferred embodiment thereof;

Referring to the drawings:.

Figure .1 is a. vertical sectional. view ofa ma.- chine. embodying. the instant invention. with parts. broken. away Fig.2 is a top plan. sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2'.in.F.'ig. 1,. withparts broken away;

Fig. 3.is an enlarged. top plan detailediview of a valve device locatedv in the. bottom. of. the machine. shownin Fig. 1; V

Fig. 4 is a plan. view of a. gear train. locatedin the bottom. of. the machine shown in Fig. 1;. and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged. part vertical sectional and partsideelevational views of one of the weighing devices in the machine, the two viewsshowing the. movable. parts of the devices in different positions.

As a preferred or exemplary. embodiment. of the instant invention thedrawingsillustrate a rotary type multiple head weighing and. filling machine for weighing. out individual or unit charges of granular product. such as coffee or the like and. for filling the charges into in'dividual cans A as the cans advance into and pass through the machine in a constantly moving substantially continuous procession and in spaced and. timed order.

In such a machine. the. cansA. disposed in. an upright. position, are advanced along a circular 2 path of travel while the unit charges of the product are weighed and are filled into the cans. Durin this travel of the cans through the machine. they are supported on a ring shaped. horizontaltable ll (Figs. 1 and 2) having upright concentric guides I2 formed" on. the inner and the outer edges of the table to retain the. cans in place. and guide, them along their curved path of travel. The tableis supported on brackets. l3 which extend up from a hollow base M which constitutes the main frame of the machine.

The, cans A are. propelled along the table II by acontinuously rotatinghorizontal turret l6 having a. plurality of spaced peripheral pockets [1 for receiving and propelling the. cans. The turret i6 is disposed concentrically with and just above the ring shaped table H and is mounted for rotation on. a. shouldered column l8. which extends up from themachine base 14. The. turret I6 is rotated ina clockwise, direction as viewed in Fi 2' by a gear 2! which preferably is formed integrally with they turret. The gear .2! meshes with and is; driven by a.pinion.22l (Figs 1 and 4) mounted on theupper endv of .averticalshaft 23 journaled in abearing 2% formed in the machine base [4. The lower end of. the shaft carries a pinion 25 which mesheswith and is driven by a pinion 2%) on a short drive shaft 21 which carries a main driving bevel gear 28. The. bevel gear 28 may be rota-ted in any suitable manner.

The cans A. preferably are fed into and are discharged from. the pockets. ll of the turret It by a pair. of spaced continuously rotating star whee1s3l, 32 disposed adjacent the outer. periphery, ofv the turret as shown in Fig. 1. The entrance star wheel 3i is mounted on the upper end of a vertical drive shaft 34 journaled in a bearing bracket, 35. which extends up from the machine base M. The shaft is, rotated through a. ,trainof. three pinion gears 36, 31, 38 (Fig. 4), the first. of which (36) is carried on the star wheel shaft. 3.4 and thelast of which (38) meshes with and is driven by the turret gear 2|. The cans are, received from any suitable source of supply on a. table- 39 (Fig. 2) and are advanced byl-the star wheel into the pockets ll of the turret. A. curved guide rail 4i disposed adjacentthe outer. periphery of the star wheel holds the cans in. engagement with the wheel and directs. them toward the turret pockets.

The discharge star wheel 32 is mounted. on the upper end of averticaldrive shaft #3 journaled in a bearing bracket M which extends up from the machine, base M. The shaft is rotated by a gear 45. (Figs. 1- and 4) mounted. on the lower end of the shaft and meshing with the drive, gear 26. A curved guide rail 46 (Fig. 2) disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the star wheeland extending across the path. of travel of the. cans A in. the turret l6 facilitates removal. of the cans from the turret pockets l1 and directs them onto a table 41 for discharge to any suitable place of deposit.

The product to be weighed and filled into the cans A traveling with the turret H5 is contained in a rotatable reservoir 5| (Fig. 1) located above and in concentricity with the circular path of travel of the cans around the column IS. The

into the cans A in the turret l6. Each weighing bucket 8| is connected by a pair of pivot pins 82 to the outer bifurcated end of a weighing beam 83 balanced on a knife edge 84 supported on a bucket 85 secured to the rotatable ring plate 53.

w The inner end of the weighing beam 83 carries reservoir 5| is supported on a hollow vertical pedestal 52 which rests on a ring plate 53 which in turn is mounted on a disc 54 secured to a flange 55 of a driving sleeve 56 rotatably carried in the column l8 in concentricity therewith. This entire multi-part vertical structure is rotated on the axis of the sleeve 56 in time with the turret |6 by a gear 51 which is secured to the lower end of the sleeve and which meshes with and is driven continuously by the pinion 25.

The weighing of the product into the unit charges for filling into the cans A is efiected by a plurality of the weighing devices B (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) which are located immediately below the reservoir 5|. There is one weighing device B for each pocket ll of the turret l6 and each device is disposed in vertical alignment with its turret pocket. Each device B includes aproduct feeding or dispensing nozzle 6| which depends from the bottom of the reservoir 5| and which communicates with an opening 62 in the bottom of the reservoir; There is one opening 62 for each weighing device B.

The lower end of the nozzle 6| is shaped as an inverted cone and its outwardly facing wall is formed with a dispensing slot 63 which'is normally closed by a hinged trap door 64 as shown in Fig. 6. The upper end of the door 64 is mounted on a pivot pin 65 carried in lugs 66 formed on the nozzle. This upper end of the door is also formed with an outwardly projecting arm 61 which carries a cam roller 63 disposed ina path of travel intersected by a short stationary cam 69 (see also Fig. 2) mounted on a post 1| extending up from the machine base I4. The cam 69 is located in a predetermined position relative to the travel of a can A with the turret l6 so that the weighing operation may be completed in sufiicient time to permit filling the can before it reaches the discharge star wheel 32.

Engagement of the cam roller 68 with the cam 69 as the roller passes the cam in traveling with the reservoir, lifts the roller and thus rocks the arm 61 upwardly. This action swings the trap door 64 downwardly into an open position, as shown in Fig. 5. The door opens against the resistance of a spring 13 which is stretched between the door and a pin secured in the outer wall of the nozzle. In opening, the free lower edge of the door 64 slides along a door locking and tripping finger 14 which is mounted on a pivot pin 15 carried in lugs 16 formed on the back of the nozzle 6|. When the door is fully open it rides off the finger 14 and the finger is weight urged to snap under the door as shown in Fig. 5 to hold the door open after the cam roller 68 rides on the cam 69, as will be hereinafter described.

The opening of the trap door 64 permits the granular product in the reservoir 5| to discharge from the open dispensing slot 63 of the nozzle 6|. The discharging product flows into a weighing bucket 8| which is disposed directly below the nozzle 6| in vertical alignment with the nozzle and with the pockets l1 of the turret l6. There is one weighing bucket 8| for each nozzle for weighing out a charge of the product for filling an adjustable weight 86 which is adjusted to compensate for the weight of the bucket 8| and to terminate the flow of the product from the nozzle 6| into the weighing bucket when a charge of a predetermined weight of the product has been received in the bucket.

In order to provide for quick sensitive tilting action of the balance beam 83 on its knife edge 84, the beam preferably is made of tubing so as to provide an interior chamber 81. This chamber 81 is partially filled with a rapidly fiowable substance or fluid 88. It has been found that mercury is very suitable for this purpose since it is heavy and readily flowable. When the weighing bucket 8| is empty the counterbalance weight 86 tilts the inner end of the beam downward as shown in Fig. 5 and the mercury flows into this end of the beam and its weight augments and co-operates with the weight 86 in holding the bucket 8| steady in elevated position.

When the product charge falling into the bucket 8| approaches the predetermined weight and thus institutes a tilting action on the balance beam to weigh or move the bucket down, it overcomes the weight of the counterbalance 86 and the inner end of the beam slowly rises. At this point in the balancing operation the mercury starts'to fiow into the outer end of the beam, leveling of! in the beam when the beam is exactly balanced and then flows rapidly into the outer end of the beam'to accelerate the beam tilting movement and thus further quickly lower the bucket 8| to out off further fiow of the product into the bucket. The product thus received in the bucket constitutes the unit charge to be filled into a can A.

Cutting off the flow of the product into the weighing bucket 8| is effected by a delayed action trip mechanism, for example preferably through a pair of links 92 disposed one on eachside of the nozzle 6|. These links have elongated slots 93 in their lower ends. The bucket pivot pins 82 preferably are of sufiicient length to extend into the slots in these links. The upper ends of the links are pivotally connected to a pair of arms 94 which are secured to the pivot p 0f the k" ing finger 14; the arms 94, the pin 15 and the finger 14 being secured together in a predetermined relation to act asa unitary structure. The slots 93 in the links 92 are of just sufficient length to permit the bucket pivot pin 82 to engage the links at the upper ends of the slots as shown in Fig. 5 to hold the locking finger 14 up in looking position when the empty weighing bucket 8| is elevated by the weight 86 and the mercury 88 in the balance beam. The lower extremities of the slots are disposed so that the bucket pivot pin 82 will engage the links at the bottoms of the slots when the bucket 8| has received the full charge of the product and has tilted the balance beam 83 as explained above (see Fig. 6).

Hence when a sufiicient quantity of the product has discharged from the nozzle 6| into the weighing bucket 8| so as to constitute a product charge of a predetermined weight, the weight of the product charge first institutes a tilting of the balance beam 83 and immediately thereafter through the above described accelerated tilting movement, draws down on the links 92. This pulling on the am os links, -=draws downon-the armswkand thus swings the locking finger it away from. the trap door 154 of the nozzle 6:! (see Fig. 6). This releases the door 54 and the spring 13 thereupon-snaps "it shut, thereby cutting off any :iu-rther now of the product from the nozzle. This-completes the weighing operation. and the entire quantity of the product received in the weighing bucket 8 I 'constiti-ites the product charge tobe-fillcd i-nto a can A. This weighing operation takes 4 place while the reservoir 64, the attached nozz'leril and the weighing bucket 'ii laaremov-ing with the aligned can A in the turret l 6.

As soon as the product charge has been Weighed out, it is immediately dischargedfrom the weighing bucket 81 through the bottom-of the bucket which is normally closed by ahin-ged bottom plate 96 (Figs. 1, '5 and 6). The plate adjacent one edge is mounted on a pivot pint carried in support lugswhich extend but from the bucket. Adjacent the pivot pin, the bottom plate 96 is formed with ashort aux-i 98, the outer end of which is connected to a vertically disposed piston rod 99. The rod 99 extends up into a cylinder lei attached to "the back ofthe weighing bucket. Within the cylinder, the 'rod flfi carries a piston 102. A compression spring 103 interposed between 'th'e't'op of thepisto-n 1 2 and the upperend wall of the cylinder Hll maintains a downward pressure on the pistonand keeps the bottom plate'9'6 normally closed as 'shown'in Fig. 5.

Swinging of the bottom plate 96 into open position, as shown in Fig. 6, to discharge the weighed charge of the product from the bucket '81, preferably is effected by fluid pressure, such as a vacuum created in the cylinder above the piston W2. Forthis purpose, the interior of the upper end of the cylinder Hll connected by a flexible tube I95 to a radial bore 106 (Fig. 5) formed in the ring plate 53 which rotates with the vertical driving sleeve 56. There is one bore H26 in the ring plate 53 for each weighing bucket 3|. The inner ends of these bores (06 are connected by pipes 401 (see also'Fig. 1) whichextend down through the driving sleeve 56 to a'rotata-ble valve head 1&8 secured to androtati-n'g with the lower end of the sleeve. This valve head 108 is formedwith a fiat lower face which seats-against and rotates on a similar fiat face of a stationary valve head 139 (Fig. 1) secured'to the-machine base 14.

At the rotatable valve head l 08, the lower ends of the pipes m1 terminate in communication with radial bores I l l formed'in the head and extending out to the fiat face of the head. The terminal ends of these bores III are arranged in a circle concentric with the axis of the sleeve '56 (see Fig. 3) and are adapted to rotate into register with a short vacuumizing groove H2 and a long separate vent groove 1 I3 formed in the flat face of the stationary valve head 109. The vacuumizing groove H2 is connected by continuing vertical and horizontal channels M in the stationary valve head -l-0'9, to a lead-in pipe H5 which leads from any suitable source of vacuum. The vent groove I I3 is connected by similar continuing vertical and horizontal channels 1 IS in the stationary valve head I09 which leadto the outside atmosphere.

Hence when a bore III of the rotating valve head 108 comes into register with the short vacuum-izing groove 1 ll of the stationary valve head M9, .a-direct line oi-communic'ation is established through the associated pipe IIJ'I with the interior of theiupperiportionoitheicylinder do! and this creates a vacuum in the cylinder -su1ncient:to movethe'pistcn m2 upwardly against the force of the spring 103. This upward movement of the piston opensthe bottom. .plate 96 of the bucket 8| and permits the weighed :chargeof the product to discharge from the bucket into the can A iocated under the bucket.

The-bottom plate of the weighing bucket 81 remains open a sufiicient :time to insure full discharge of the weighed product. and .then the bore H I .m'ovessoutof register with the vacuum groove 1 1-2 :and moves into register with the vent groove I 1.3. :Theiboic 4 ll remainsiin register with this vent groove 4 it .for the remainder of the cyclei'of operation of the machine imtiluthe next vacuumizing operation isrequired. When the core I l lmcomes into. register with this vent groove 1! 3,..the. interior of therupper portion .of the cylinder [Jill is vented to the outside atmosphere through the pipe 101, bore .l-ll, groove I13, and the vent bores Hi3 the stationary valve .lhead 409. 'l his breaks the vacuum in the cylinder and permits the spring MP3 to close the bottom plate 65 of the bucket 81 for a subsequent weighing operation. .A vent port M8 (Figs. d and fi) in-th'e bottom of the cylinder liil provides .for venting the air iromthe --cylinder during down-ward movement of the piston.

With the can A filled with the weighed charge of the product the can is discharged fromthe machine by the discharge-star wheel-32 as hereinbefore explained. This completes the cycle of operation of the machine.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will "be understood from the foregoing description, and it "will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and-arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the iormhereinbe'fore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

.1. In a machine for weighing out individual charges of .a product and for filling them into cans, the combination of a hollow balance beam having a pivotal support disposed intermediate its ends, a rapidly iiowable substance disposed within and partially filling said hollow beam, a weighing bucket carried on one end of said beam for receiving a product charge when said beam end is in elevated position, a nozzle for filling :said product into the elevated bucket, said nozzle having a hinged door thereon normally biased by spring means to closed ,position, means. for

holding said door in open position during the bucket filling operation, a delayed action trip mechanism connecting said door holding means directly to the bucket carrying end of said balance beam, and a counterbalance weight .ad-

.justably mounted on the opposite end of said beam, tilting movement of said beam to depressed position being instituted by theweight of the product charge filled into the buclzet as determined by said counterbalance weight, the resulting movement of said rapidlyfiowahle sub-- stance within said beam thereafter quickly .a'ccelerating the tilting movement oi" said beam to rapidly lower said bucket, said connected trip mechanism being responsive to said accelerated tilting movement of said balance "beam to re lease 'Said"d00l holding means and permit-said door to be quickly-returned bysaidspring means to its normal closed position.

2. In a machine for weighing out. individual charges of a product and for filling them into cans, the combination of a balance beam, a pivotal support for said beam disposed intermediate its ends, a weighing bucket carried on one end of said beam for receiving and weighing out an individual product charge of a predetermined weight, a counterbalance weight carried by the opposite end of said beam, a feeding nozzle disposed above said weighing bucket, said nozzle having an opening for dispensing the product into said bucket, a trap door hingedly mounted on said nozzle for closing said opening in the nozzle, a trip .finger movably mounted on said nozzle for holding said trap door open to permit discharge of the product from said nozzle into said bucket, and a relatively movable pin and slotted link connection between said finger and said bucket for moving said finger out of door engaging position to close said trap door and shut off the fiow of product from said nozzle when the predetermined weight of the individual product charge received in the bucket is reached and movably weighs down said bucket on said pivotal support.

3. In a machine for weighing out individual charges of a product and for filling them into cans, the combination of a balance beam, a pivot support for said beam disposed intermediate its ends, a weighing bucket carried on one end of said beam for receiving and weighing out an individual product charge of a predetermined weight, a counterbalance weight on the opposite end of said beam, a feeding nozzle disposed above said weighing bucket, said nozzle having an opening for dispensing the product into said bucket, a spring urged door hingedly mounted on said nozzle for normally closing said opening, means for opening said door, a trip finger movably mounted on said nozzle and engageable with said door for holding the latter in open position after its movement thereto by said opening means to permit discharge of the product from said nozzle into said bucket, and a link connec tion between said finger and said bucket, said link having an elongated slot for a pin projecting from said bucket, said pin engaging said link at one end of said slot for retaining said trip finger in holding position against the door when said bucket is being filled, said pin engaging said link at the opposite end of said slot for moving said finger out of door engaging position to permit the door to close under spring tension and shut off the flow of product from said nozzle when the predetermined weight of the individual product charge received in the bucket is reached and weighs down said bucket.

4. In a machine for weighing out individual charges of a product and for filling them into cans, the combination of a multi-part structure rotatable on a vertical axis, a horizontal turret having pockets disposed concentric with and rotatable in unison with said structure for advancing cans in spaced relation along a curved path of travel, a product reservoir carried on said structure above said turret, a plurality of product feeding nozzles each having a dispensing opening depending from said reservoir and located one above each turret pocket, a trap door movably mounted on each of said nozzles for closing said nozzle openings, stationary cam means disposed adjacent the path of travel of said nozzles and engageable by means connected to said doors for momentarily opening said doors, a trip, finger movably mounted on each nozzle for engaging and holding said doors open after their movement to open position by said cam means, spring means for normally exerting a closing pressure on said doors, a weighted balance beam disposed adjacent each of said nozzles, a pivot support carried on said rotatable structure for each of said beams, a weighing bucket carried on each balance beam and located under one of said nozzles for receiving therefrom and weighing out an individual product charge of a predetermined weight, a link connection between said trip finger and said nozzle trap door for moving said finger out of engagement with the door to close said door by said spring means and cut oil the flow of product from said nozzle when the predetermined weight of the individual product charge received in the bucket is reached and movably weighs down said bucket on said pivot support, a movable bottom closure plate on said weighing bucket, and fluid pressure means actuated by the rotation of said structure for opening said closure plate to discharge the weighed product charge from said bucket into the can advancing with and beneath the bucket.

5. In a machine for weighing out individual charges of a product and for filling them into cans, the combination of a multi-part rotatable vertical structure, a horizontal turret having pockets disposed concentric with and rotatable in unison with said structure for advancing cans in spaced relation along a curved path of travel, a product reservoir carried on said structure above said turret, a plurality of product feeding nozzles having dispensing openings depending from said reservoir and located one above each turret pocket, a balance beam disposed adjacent each of said nozzles, a support carried on said rotatable structure for each of said beams, a weighing bucket carried on each balance beam and located under each nozzle for receiving from said nozzle and weighing out an individual product charge of a predetermined weight, means connected to said weighing bucket and said nozzle for cutting off the flow of product from said nozzle when the predetermined weight of the individual product charge received in the bucket is reached and weighs down said bucket, a bottom plate on said weighing bucket, a cylinder attached to each of said buckets, a spring pressed piston within said cylinder, a piston rod connecting said bottom plate with said piston, a valve disc carried by and rotatable with said rotatable structure, a fluid pipe connection between said cylinder and said valve disc, and a stationary valve disc communicating with a source of pressurizing fluid and co-operating with said rotatable valve disc to open and close said bottom plate to discharge the weighed product charge from said bucket into the can traveling with the bucket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Howard Oct. 23, 1945 

